Describe The Role Of Economic Sanctions In The United States

If a country is cooperative, the promise of rewards will help to achieve the dominate countries goals. For countries to refuse to cooperate, the easiest way for the superior country to achieve desired results is to impose sanctions on the country. Economic sanctions can be disastrous for a country that’s economy is export driven and are relatively low risk for the imposing nation. Cuba is an example of world powers imposing their will on a county of lesser means in such a way.

Why does the U.S. government need to intervene in international trade by setting up the U.S. Commercial Service?

There are many countries that the United States frequently traded with who are now under a set of economic sanctions today. The sanctions were designed to restrict a country to the resources of their country and their allies until they comply with specific request. The US-Cuban sanctions were suppose was supposed to be in place until democracy and human rights were restored in Cuba. One effect of the sanction resulted in Cuban citizens only being able to purchase vehicles made before 1958. Although this is a minor effect of sanction, can you imagine if you were only able to possess a microwave that was made before 1958?

Currently, numerous sanctions target the Iranian economy. These sanctions are implemented and enforced by the United States of America, The European Union, and several other United Nation members to include; Japan, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, Norway, Switzer. Fathollah-nejad, A. (2013). These measures are necessary to enforce international laws through means other than war.

Many procedures undertaken by the Americans with the Soviets and other Non-Arab states have revolved around economic sanctions, stipulations, exiles and embargoes.

The United States of American has put embargos on many countries, for a multitude of reasons; however, I’m only going to focus on three: North Korea, Cuba, and Sudan.

Embargos are rarely ever explained to the normal citizen and when the explanation of the embargo comes down from the country leadership it is more than likely propaganda that says, “the United Nations is out to steel our land”. When the leadership of the most powerful countries are about to create an embargo on they should be force to explain to the poor farmer or worker that is barely able to make a buck. This might be enough to give pause on the harm you are causing the country that is about to get

But first, what is the definition and scope of the economic sanctions that US is threatening to put on Russia? From NewRepublic.com (2014), these sanctions would:

n October 19th 1960, the United States of America implemented an embargo on American exports to Cuba. This undertaking was in response to the Cuban state nationalizing American owned property without any compensation. The embargo, which included just about all imports, is one example of US-Cuban relations that have been poor ever since the overthrow of the Batista regime (Haufbauer et al). In recent years, trade sanctions have finally began to open up and in 2000 the United States passed the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act which allows for food and agricultural products to be exported to Cuba (Engage Cuba Coalition). However, despite this act opening up the market for food and agricultural products the Trade Sanctions Reform

As a result, of rising opportunity costs, domestic production may stop short of complete specialization. However, if a large group of people and nations are benefiting from specialization and in international exchange, the government has the power to restrict the free flow of imports or encourage exports. Government can interfere with free trade by protective tariffs, import quotas, nontariff barriers, and export subsidies. Protective tariffs are tariffs that are enacted with the aim of protecting a domestic industry. Import tariffs limits on the quantities or total value of specific items that may be imported. Nontariff barriers is a form of restrictive trade where barriers to trade are set up and take a form other than a tariff. While export subsidies is a government policy to encourage export of goods and discourage sale of goods on the domestic market through direct payments, low-cost loans, tax relief for exporters, or government-financed international advertising. In executing barriers against imports, the nations whose exports suffer may retaliate with trade barriers of their own, creating a trade

The sanctions center around the country’s ballistic missile program has also claimed human rights abuses and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC). The new law says the IRGC plays a large role in Iran’s international destabilization program, including terrorism and the ballistic missile program. The sanctions include the blocking property, exclusion from entering the US and pausing current transactions. However the Iranian government has accused the United States of Using the Sanctions to undermine the current nuclear deal. “President Trump has long criticized the agreement and vowed to pull the country out of it during his election campaign.”(CNN). Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi warned that “hostile” measures taken by the US would impact international relations and affairs.

The US’s global influence and power place a broad range of intervention tools at its disposal. Even though tensions between Russia and Ukraine are lower than they were a couple of years ago, the impact of the US is visible. First, in the form of economic and political sanctions against Russia (Daiss, 2016). These penalties have proved costly to Russia and in some way have deterred further Russian aggression.

Nothing material has been changed since Trump certified Iran’s compliance in July and no change in sanctions relief being provided by US. Despite of verified evidences of Iran’s continued compliance with the JCPOA by IAEA, the lack of any material breach or new evidence since Trump’s last certification and the view of some of his Cabinet members and its European allies, recent Trump decertification had no justification.

The big news last week was when President Trump lifted the sanctions on a Chinese business enterprise, ZTE. The story begins with, Trump’s own Commerce Department banning shipments of American technology to ZTE for seven years. Why? Because ZTE violated American's sanction's against countries banned by the United States, included Iran and North Korea. President Trumps own administration has said, ZTE was threatening national security by doing so. Another irony President Trump has long-claimed that China “is raping us” through unfair trade practices, stealing trade secrets and stealing American jobs. So why did he lift the sanctions?

World leaders often decide that the most obvious alternatives to sanctions are no good – military action would be too strong and diplomatic protests too weak. Sanctions can provide a satisfying dramatic display, but avoid the high costs of war.(Library of Economics) This isn’t to say that sanctions don’t cost a thing, just that they’re often less costly than the alternatives.